Rating: 
Summary: Dissapointing
Review: I am a big fan of her first 4 books so I couldn't wait to get this one. I was very dissapointed. This book has no plot (until the very end) and what little "plot" she puts in the book is disjointed and filled with unnecessary fluff. It seems to me that JK Rowling had severe writers block and could not think of any worthy ideas, so what little ideas she had, she ran away with them and ended up running them into the ground (and on and on for a few hundred pages). She pulls new characters (and some old) out of the blue to save the situation and then never explains what happened. Overall, the book is confusing, filled with unnecessary fluff, has no plot and would have been so much better had she cut out about 500 pages.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth Waiting For. . .
Review: I just finished reading the book after recieving it yesterday. I have enjoyed all of the books in the series and this was the best yet. could barely put the book down! It has exciting twists and turns and a very surprising ending. I am already anticipating the next book!
Rating:
Summary: Worth the wait
Review: Three years is a long time to pick up a story, but I was surprised at how easily I slipped into this extravagant world. After omniously titling the last chapter of the fourth book "The beginning", JKR picks up a month after the events of teh last book. The pacing and plotting are amazing - the fun elements are perfectly balanced with the dark stuff. The romantic elemnts are delicately and humourously handled with the discussion of Harry's first kiss an uproarious moment.
While none of the Big revelations are unexpected (most of us had figured out why Harry had to stay with the Dursleys, why the Dark Lord tried to kill baby Harry, etc), a lot of the character revelations and character developments were surprising and also gratifying. Professor Snape is turning out to be one of the most fascinating characters in the series - one cannot but feel a little sympathetic towards him. There is a lot more to look forward to in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Just as good
Review: Book 5 doesn't disappoint. It's just as good as the preceding books and not a page too long. I don't want to give away any of the plot, so I'll just say that I hope the wait for Book 6 isn't nearly as long.
Rating:
Summary: Page after page, a fantastic book
Review: After waiting for this book along with the rest of the world there is a real sense of dread -- can the anticipation, the hype possibly be met?Simple answer: yes. Touching, funny, tragic and terrifying, Book 5 in JK Rowling's series avoids the mistakes of Book 4 (did we really need every plot point rehashed just to make sure everyone kept up?) and dives right into a new year for Harry Potter and his friends and enemies. The story is immense yet at no point does it feel labored -- there isn't a moment where you feel like flipping a couple of pages to move past a rather dull plot point. Instead, it drives on, a sense of dread rising throughout, a sense that the world Harry inhabits is changing ever day and everything might not be fine by the time we reach the final page. The characters are all given more facets, more weaknesses and strengths and the book (and the series) is that much better as a result. In particular, Dumbledore is much more interesting, especially as he had threatened to become no more than a convenient conclusion to each book. Umbridge is a fantastic creation, a nightmare vision of bureaucracy and pettiness that demands to be hissed with every "hem, hem" she utters. The Weasleys are given more respect and become more than comic relief -- the twins alone are worth the price of admission, although there is a new side to Ron that is very welcome. Hermione is perhaps the only character in the novel that doesn't change. In fact, she almost appears to be stuck as 'the brainy one', although she is much less obnoxious than she has been in previous books. And that brings us to Harry. For an insight into the mind of a teenage boy, look no further. Girls make no sense, adults don't understand and I'm the most important person on the planet. That's Harry at 15 and it's brilliant to read. Issues with fame that have previously been touched upon are expanded and you may suddenly feel a pang of sympathy for all the celebrities that whine about their coverage in the tabloids. All of a sudden, Harry isn't a perfect hero, he's a human hero and he's more compelling than before. It's a bold move by Ms. Rowling but one that is very satisfying. 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' almost feels like a challenge to the New York Times: I dare you to call me a children's book. It cannot be quantified that way and, with this book, Ms. Rowling has made the Harry Potter series a work that demands both attention and respect. It is no longer a tale of witchcraft and wizardry. It is now a story about life, with all its different shades. And I for one cannot wait to see where Harry's life will lead us next.
Rating: 
Summary: Harry's got issues...
Review: An interesting book, but was it really worth the wait? Harry seems depressed and therefore the book on whole was less humorous, but I think Rowling still kept it in the vein of the past four. I have to say that when the action got going, it pulled me in, but some non-action was a little too slow compared to the others. Just hope that no. 6 isn't bigger, yea? Worth the wait, but how long will it be for the next one?
Rating:
Summary: WHY?
Review: You have to read the first four in the series before you read this one. So much is happening to the wizarding wordl and to Harry, it was sometimes hard to comprehend what was happening. Oh, and I cried at then end of the book. It was sad. Why did he have to die? That is so cruel.
Rating:
Summary: ROWLING CONSISTENTLY WONDERFUL IN 5TH BOOK!
Review: The reading audience may have lamented having to wait "so long" for the fifth installment of the Harry Potter series, but J.K. Rowling has produced another consistently wonderful book, absolutely worth the time it's taken to get here AND for the reader to get through it's 870 pages. Well-written, with wonderful subtleties and foreshadowing, emotional ties to every character, and an understanding of what it's like to be a teenager so clearly conveyed, (not to mention the great story and characters,) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is definitely a book that is a joy to read. The stage has been well-set for the many threads that Rowling pursues, red-herrings included. Even the bane of writer's everywhere - long, expository scenes - are handled so well that in several places I actually found myself longing for the inevitable scene I knew was coming to explain things. And, as usual, there's no lack of mysteries to solve, adventures to be had, unfairness in the world that must be endured and overcome, relationships in upheaval, the ever-increasing presence of Voldemort to contend with and so very much more. If you're a Harry Potter fan, set aside some time to savor and enjoy this fifth installment - it's been WELL worth the wait!
Rating:
Summary: Good book, but not as good as the others
Review: I got the book at 12:00 PM the day it came out, and read off and on untill 1:00 AM the next morning. I finished it around 12:30 the second day of its release. I couldn't put it down, it was addicting, but I think that was just because it was a Harry Potter book, so it has to be adicting even if it stinks. I liked this book, but I don't think JK Rowling had the charm she put into the others. On the fourth one, she was truley at her height and I think being pressured to keep that standard has made her freak and so, I don't know, this book just isn't that great. Alot of little things happen that make you gain intrest, but they aren't really that important and you sort of get sick of them. There is no fantastic action when your ready for it. All the action comes at the end of the book, and to tell you the truth, I HATED the end. It depressed me so much I cried, and I just wasn't all that crazy about it. I liked the book, but it was average, and i think the author could do better. I HATE THE END!!!!! I don't think that was the right way to end it. I'm not going to totally spoil it, but...yeah...How can I make my point clear? i've just got mixed feelings about whether this book is great or not.
Rating:
Summary: Another Incredible Sequel
Review: This highly anticipated book lived up to its predecessors, and obviously sets the stage for the other books coming up in the series. I read it all in one day. Although the beginning can seem slow or frustrating at first, things do intensify, and questions get answered. If you're a Harry Potter fan already, you'll appreciate this book. It may not be quite as exciting as the others, but it's probably an important step in the Harry Potter story as a whole.
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